Status: on hold until further notice.
Under My Skin
Chapter Four - Hallie
I woke up to the sound of my cell phone buzzing on my end table. I opened one eye and reached for it, fumbling a couple of times before I finally grasped it firmly in my hand. I flipped my phone open to the same thing I usually see every morning:
1 new text message: Luke Fisher
I smiled, just because it was from him, and then groaned as I always do when I read the same text as I do almost every morning.
Where are you?
I clicked “reply”, getting ready to inform him, as I do every time I get this text, exactly how early it was, when I looked at the clock and gasped. It was six thirty-seven! Luke had been outside for at least ten minutes by now. He was going to be pissed.
“Shit, shit, SHIT!” I cried, leaping out of bed. I threw on the clothes I had (thankfully) laid out the night before, grabbed my backpack from my desk and ran downstairs, out the door and into Luke’s car.
“Sorry,” I said, breathless, flipping down the passenger seat mirror to fix my hair and apply makeup.
Luke grunted. I sighed, looking over at him. His eyes were narrowed, his mouth set in a straight line. His knuckles were white, seeing as he was gripping the steering wheel tightly. I knew today was going to be one of those days.
We rode in silence, finally reaching the school an agonizing fifteen minutes later. I practically flew out of Luke’s jeep, slamming the door shut behind me. I heard the sound of pounding footsteps on the pavement and suddenly, a large hand grabbed my arm and swung me around.
“What the fuck,” Luke hissed, glaring at me, “is your problem?”
My nostrils flared, my temper rising. “Me?” I practically shouted, wrestling my limb from Luke’s strong grip. “You’ve been in a pissy mood since you left my house last night! Excuse me if I don’t feel like being the scapegoat to your misplaced anger,” I spat, looking pointedly at the bruise starting to form on my upper arm. I spun around and started to walk away, leaving Luke standing stranded in the middle of the parking lot.
The warning bell rang then, so I dashed quickly to my locker. I spun the combination lock, my hands shaking so badly out of anger that it took me three tries to get it right. Finally, the door swung open the third time, allowing me to toss my stuff in, exchanging my useless Trig book for my equally useless U.S. History text. I slammed my locker door, rattling the whole row of lockers, to see my best friend Bex – short for Rebecca – Winters standing behind it.
“Trouble in paradise?” Bex asked intuitively, switching her messenger bag from her right to her left shoulder, as to not have it bump into me every three seconds as we walked together towards our shared first block class together.
“What do you mean?” I looked at her innocently, nearly running over some poor freshmen in the process of averting my gaze form the hallway in front of me. I decided I should probably watch where I was going.
“I’m talking about that,” Bex said, motioning towards the now black, blue and purple addition to my normally pale skin tone.
“Oh, that?” I said, seemingly unconcerned. “Luke was over last night, and we started play wrestling. You know…” I drifted off, hoping my best friend would please, please just leave it at that.
She didn’t. “Really, now?” Bex said in disbelief. She took her finger and ran it lightly over the bruise, causing me to wince involuntarily, not going unnoticed by Bex.
“Tell the truth, Hal,” Bex demanded, stopping the two of us right outside our U.S. History class with Mr. Burke.
“Nothing!” I insisted, averting my eyes. At that moment, the bell rang. I dashed inside the room and took my seat.
At the end of class, I jumped up and dashed out, nearly crashing into someone just outside the door.
“Oh! I’m so…” I trailed off and I looked up to see who it was.
Luke.
“You’re so…what?” He teased, smiling.
“I’m not the one that should be apologizing,” I said coolly, brushing past him, heading back towards my locker.
“Hallie!” Luke called, chasing after me, weaving through the crowd of students. He finally caught up to me at my locker. I turned to face him, glaring, wondering what he could possibly have to say. He grabbed my arm as I flinched, wondering what he was going to do. He held onto it lightly as he pulled me towards him into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Hal,” he said. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” He looked directly into my eyes, pleading with them. “I’ve had a rough couple of days, but I never meant to take it out on you…please forgive me,” he begged.
I sighed and looked at him, not knowing what to say. “It’s okay,” I said. What else could I say?
Luke leaned down and kissed me; slowly, gently, and at that moment, it felt as if everything else would get better as they fell into place and eventually get back to the way things used to be.
“I love you,” Luke said.
“Do you really?” I wondered.
1 new text message: Luke Fisher
I smiled, just because it was from him, and then groaned as I always do when I read the same text as I do almost every morning.
Where are you?
I clicked “reply”, getting ready to inform him, as I do every time I get this text, exactly how early it was, when I looked at the clock and gasped. It was six thirty-seven! Luke had been outside for at least ten minutes by now. He was going to be pissed.
“Shit, shit, SHIT!” I cried, leaping out of bed. I threw on the clothes I had (thankfully) laid out the night before, grabbed my backpack from my desk and ran downstairs, out the door and into Luke’s car.
“Sorry,” I said, breathless, flipping down the passenger seat mirror to fix my hair and apply makeup.
Luke grunted. I sighed, looking over at him. His eyes were narrowed, his mouth set in a straight line. His knuckles were white, seeing as he was gripping the steering wheel tightly. I knew today was going to be one of those days.
We rode in silence, finally reaching the school an agonizing fifteen minutes later. I practically flew out of Luke’s jeep, slamming the door shut behind me. I heard the sound of pounding footsteps on the pavement and suddenly, a large hand grabbed my arm and swung me around.
“What the fuck,” Luke hissed, glaring at me, “is your problem?”
My nostrils flared, my temper rising. “Me?” I practically shouted, wrestling my limb from Luke’s strong grip. “You’ve been in a pissy mood since you left my house last night! Excuse me if I don’t feel like being the scapegoat to your misplaced anger,” I spat, looking pointedly at the bruise starting to form on my upper arm. I spun around and started to walk away, leaving Luke standing stranded in the middle of the parking lot.
The warning bell rang then, so I dashed quickly to my locker. I spun the combination lock, my hands shaking so badly out of anger that it took me three tries to get it right. Finally, the door swung open the third time, allowing me to toss my stuff in, exchanging my useless Trig book for my equally useless U.S. History text. I slammed my locker door, rattling the whole row of lockers, to see my best friend Bex – short for Rebecca – Winters standing behind it.
“Trouble in paradise?” Bex asked intuitively, switching her messenger bag from her right to her left shoulder, as to not have it bump into me every three seconds as we walked together towards our shared first block class together.
“What do you mean?” I looked at her innocently, nearly running over some poor freshmen in the process of averting my gaze form the hallway in front of me. I decided I should probably watch where I was going.
“I’m talking about that,” Bex said, motioning towards the now black, blue and purple addition to my normally pale skin tone.
“Oh, that?” I said, seemingly unconcerned. “Luke was over last night, and we started play wrestling. You know…” I drifted off, hoping my best friend would please, please just leave it at that.
She didn’t. “Really, now?” Bex said in disbelief. She took her finger and ran it lightly over the bruise, causing me to wince involuntarily, not going unnoticed by Bex.
“Tell the truth, Hal,” Bex demanded, stopping the two of us right outside our U.S. History class with Mr. Burke.
“Nothing!” I insisted, averting my eyes. At that moment, the bell rang. I dashed inside the room and took my seat.
At the end of class, I jumped up and dashed out, nearly crashing into someone just outside the door.
“Oh! I’m so…” I trailed off and I looked up to see who it was.
Luke.
“You’re so…what?” He teased, smiling.
“I’m not the one that should be apologizing,” I said coolly, brushing past him, heading back towards my locker.
“Hallie!” Luke called, chasing after me, weaving through the crowd of students. He finally caught up to me at my locker. I turned to face him, glaring, wondering what he could possibly have to say. He grabbed my arm as I flinched, wondering what he was going to do. He held onto it lightly as he pulled me towards him into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Hal,” he said. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” He looked directly into my eyes, pleading with them. “I’ve had a rough couple of days, but I never meant to take it out on you…please forgive me,” he begged.
I sighed and looked at him, not knowing what to say. “It’s okay,” I said. What else could I say?
Luke leaned down and kissed me; slowly, gently, and at that moment, it felt as if everything else would get better as they fell into place and eventually get back to the way things used to be.
“I love you,” Luke said.
“Do you really?” I wondered.